This much is undebatable: "The Great Debaters," directed by and starring Denzel Washington, is an inspirational underdog story, focusing on the formidable debate team at all-black Wiley College during the Jim Crow era.

Forest Whitaker, left, and Denzel Washington head the cast in 'The Great Debaters,' which was filmed this year in Shreveport.

Inspired by real events, it's a richly textured film that's steeped in history, that packs a motivational punch and that features a wealth of fine actors giving fine performances.

As to whether Washington's effort -- backed by Oprah Winfrey's Harpo Productions and filmed mostly in the Shreveport area -- qualifies as satisfying storytelling, however, is not quite as much of an open-and-shut case.

Forest Whitaker, left, and Denzel Washington head the cast in 'The Great Debaters,' which was filmed this year in Shreveport.

"The Great Debaters" is Washington's second directorial outing -- his first was "Antwone Fisher" in 2002 -- and it's a reasonably strong sophomore effort. Where it slips, however, is with a script that is a touch too rich, with so many plot threads going in so many directions that it all seems to lack focus.

Denzel Washington

THE GREAT DEBATERS

2.5 stars, out of 4

Plot: A college professor inspires his students to form the school's first debate team, which goes on to challenge Harvard for the national championship. Based on real events.

What works: It's an inspirational film, and it has rich production values.

What doesn't: The story is slowly paced, and its many subplots give it an unfocused feel.

We learn of Melvin Tolson (Washington), the Wiley College professor who coached his debate team to an unprecedented, though unofficial, national championship (and who went on to become a renowned poet). We learn of James Farmer Jr. (Denzel Whitaker), the 14-year-old prodigy who was a part of that team and who struggles with his newfound adolescence (and who went on to become one of the "big three" leaders of the civil rights movement). We learn of Samantha Booke (Jurnee Smollett), a composite character based mostly on the real Henrietta Bell, one of the first women members of the Wiley College team (and who went on to participate in the Freedom Rides of the 1960s). And we learn of the smart but headstrong composite character of Henry Lowe (Nate Parker), who has inner demons to conquer.

It's all compelling stuff, but with each character having his or her own subplot, it's also all over the map, giving the film an uncentered feel.

The plodding pace set by Washington also leaves something to be desired. We are talking about a debate team, after all -- hardly the sexiest of subjects, and hardly prone to little more than impassioned jawboning. Audiences' preconceived notions about debates as a less-than-scintillating topic for a feature film are not likely to be tested here.

To its credit, however, when the film does nail it, it nails it, particularly when the Wiley debaters hammer home their points in competition. (Without giving too much away, its highest point is easily when young Denzel Whitaker, who shines in every scene in which he appears, is finally promoted from an alternate to a first-teamer, getting a chance to swing for the fences.)

There are also the strong production values, from the period costumes to the sets, and a laudable scene-setting musical foundation that is established from the opening minute.

Washington doesn't pull any punches when it comes to depicting the routine violence against African-Americans of the era, either, including a genuinely harrowing scene in which the major characters stumble upon a lynching in progress. It's a scene that most movie-goers will find troubling but moving, though it may be too much for some.

(For his part, Washington shrugged off any whiff of controversy about the lynching scene in a phone conversation about the film earlier this month. "Listen, this is our history," he said. "I think kids see a whole lot worse than that on 'Cops,' on the evening news.")

The Hollywood Foreign Press found a lot to like in "The Great Debaters" earlier this month, making the film one of the group's seven nominees for best dramatic picture. Still, despite the film's historical relevance and the importance of its overall theme, it's hard to climb all the way on that bandwagon.

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MOVIE NOTES

Emptying the critic's notebook on "The Great Debaters":

Been there: "The Great Debaters" was filmed mostly in the Shreveport area, but it wasn't their first time in the Bayou State for much of the cast: Denzel Washington filmed "Dejà Vu" in New Orleans in 2006. Nate Parker filmed "Pride" last year in New Orleans. Jurnee Smollett filmed "Eve's Bayou" in Madisonville in 1996. And John Heard filmed "The Guardian" in Shreveport in 2006.

Tiger pride: The Grambling State University marching band gets a salute in the film's credits for performing a number of tunes for the production, including "The Wiley College Fight Song" and "When the Saints Go Marching In."

No relation: Despite his name, 17-year-old Denzel Whitaker, one of the film's young stars, is not related to either of his most well-known co-stars, Denzel Washington and Forest Whitaker.